Clemson Tigers Men's Basketball Star Featured in Preseason Top 100 Players

Only one player from the Clemson Tigers team made the list despite them reaching the Elite Eight just last season.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers are less than a week away from getting the 2024-25 season underway.

As the team prepares for its first game of the season, on November 4th, against Charleston Southern, some of the roster is receiving recognition. 

On Monday, Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf of ESPN announced its Men’s Basketball preseason Top 100, and Tigers forward Ian Schieffelin came in at 72 on the list. The 2024 ACC Most Improved Player still has plenty to prove after just missing out on taking his team to the National Championship last season. 

“During the lead-up to Duke's home game against the Tigers, Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer called Schieffelin (10.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 59% clip inside the arc) one of the most difficult matchups in the ACC,” writes Borzello and Medcalf “At 6-8, 240 pounds, he's a threat in the post, but he also made 47% of his 3-point attempts. He's one of the most balanced players on this list.” 

The Clemson senior forward has exceeded every expectation since joining the Tigers, and he compliments the way head coach Brad Brownell likes to manage his players on the court. As the program looks to repeat last season’s success, they will need Schieffelin to produce just as well as he did in 2023. He started all 36 games for the Tigers last season and recorded a career-high 27.5 minutes per game.

Many are considering the Tigers' Elite Eight run last year an afterthought. In the 2024 ACC Preseason Poll, Clemson was projected to finish fourth in the conference, and they did not receive a single first-place vote heading into the new season. 

If the Tigers want to be taken more seriously for the upcoming season, regardless of last year’s final outcome, they could find a way to improve in conference play. Last year, Clemson finished fifth in the standings after an 11-9 record in the ACC, including falling in the second round of the ACC Tournament to Boston College. If they can build on last year’s success and find a way for it to translate into their conference record, not only will they make the tournament, but they will be entered as a much higher seed sixth.

Schieffelin will be the biggest reason why Clemson will find themselves back in contention for a National Championship in 2025. The Atlanta, Georgia native continues to be seen as the “glue guy” for this roster heading into the season. As he continues to improve his own stock towards making it to the NBA, it would not be surprising if he is much higher on this list once the season comes to an end. 

The opening tipoff for the first game of the season against Charleston Southern is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Monday at Littlejohn Coliseum.